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Building Digital Highways

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VMware Joins the Valuable 500

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Getting Personal on Leading an ESG Agenda

ESG Agenda

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Building the Future of Work as a Place Where We All Want to Work

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Empathy: The New Nonnegotiable Leadership Trait

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Careers aren’t just about work. Fulfilling jobs should also offer employees personal and professional development, a support network, and a sense of belonging. That’s why Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), also known as affinity groups, play an important part in many organizations.

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ERGs also provide many benefits, from recruitment to retention and education. These employee communities are a critical resource to inform what is and is not working.

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Every ERG is different. At VMware, we celebrate our people from a wide variety of dynamic backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Collectively, we refer to our ERGs as Power of Difference communities or PODs.

Through these groups, we encourage everyone to <a href="https://www.vmware.com/company/diversity.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bring their authentic selves to work</a>. We understand that making VMware more diverse, equitable and inclusive for our employees, customers and communities is fundamental to who we are. We also believe it’s essential to our success.

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Power of Difference Communities

VMware’s PODs are the employee-powered engines that fuel our DEI efforts. Seven global demographic PODs strengthen networks for women and underrepresented groups. These groups are open to anyone in the company and designed to help participants grow as leaders, engage with other communities, and drive business impact.

Here's a quick look at our POD communities and what they’re doing to effect change.

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Increasing broader Asian representation and inclusion in tech, creating an environment where all Asians can thrive.

Envisioning a time and place where DEI becomes innate to all that we do.

The Black@VMware business resource group supports the transformation of VMware's people practices and processes, ensuring that diversity and inclusion is applied to each and every aspect.

Striving to create a welcoming and inclusive workplace for employees of all abilities.

The Disability@VMware POD’s goal is to foster a culture where everyone feels empowered by their unique talents and to work towards advancing VMware’s dialogue and progress on disability inclusion, accommodation strategies, and physical and technological accessibility. 

Strengthening VMware’s inclusive culture and enhancing its business impact by elevating the Latino community’s representation and leadership.

Providing a safe and inclusive environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer employees and our Allies (LGBTQA) to advocate for equal rights and respect for everyone at VMware.

Working with VMware leadership and the broader employee community to grow our outreach to veterans, provide leaders with resources to better leverage the unique skills that veterans can bring to teams, and create opportunities for the advancement of veterans within VMware.

Envisioning a VMware where all women are connected, empowered, safe, heard, recognized, and that we belong. We attract the best female talent who drive innovation, challenge the norms, and thrive in our ecosystem. Women are recognized and celebrated by the VMware community, because we are all champions for equality.

VMware’s Culture Is Built on EPIC2 Values

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Explore VMware's Power of Difference (POD) communities and the company's commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.

Real Change, Powered by Human Difference | VMware Stories

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When I was about 10 years old, my parents took me on a hike into the hills near our home in Johannesburg, South Africa. We climbed until we reached a clearing looking out over the city. I’d never seen it that way before—both sprawling and small at the same time.
My eyes were drawn to a brown haze hanging over the skyline, so I asked my dad what it was. After he told me it was pollution, I said: “When I grow up, I’m going to build a giant vacuum cleaner that sucks all of that pollution out of the sky.”
I’ll be the first to admit: I haven’t built the vacuum. Yet. I still sometimes find myself thinking about how it could be done. But I’ve never lost my connection to that girl on the hill. The one who could envision a future that was different from today, and who wanted to do her part to make it possible.
Fast forward to the moment we are in today. The release of the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" name="&#038;lpos=content_company : 255">latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report</a> last week is a stark and unequivocal call-to-action for the world. While not unexpected, the report’s conclusions are sobering, even to those of us who have committed our life’s work in pursuit of sustainability. In moments like this, staying grounded in “our personal why” can be a powerful catalyst.  
For me, this is to imagine how empowered that girl would be to see me now: a woman working at one of the most innovative tech companies in the world, leading its first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) office, determined to make a difference by driving an <a href="https://www.vmware.com/2030agenda/2030-letter-nicola-acutt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" name="&#038;lpos=content_company : 256">ambitious agenda</a> that aims for nothing short of creating a more equitable, sustainable and resilient world.
In the decade that I’ve worked at VMware, I’ve seen corporate responsibility evolve from being peripheral to the company to being a part of everything at the company. Today, ESG at VMware isn’t a program or initiative—it’s a complete realignment in how we think about the long-term future of our business.
What’s behind this seismic shift? First and foremost, ESG is an overdue business imperative. And while the events of 2020 brought an increased global awareness, the challenges facing our world escalate. It has now become more evident than before that our lives, our business and our communities are interconnected in ways both large and small.
This interdependence means that ESG is also foundational to any business’ resilience and future success. Potential investors, customers and employees aren’t only looking for healthy balance sheets, innovative products and great benefit programs anymore. They want to know what you stand for—and how what you’re doing creates value for people and the planet. And they’re using what they find out to make funding, buying and employment decisions.
Late last year, VMware announced its commitment to ESG with the <a href="https://www.vmware.com/2030agenda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2030 Agenda</a>: 30 specific, measurable goals we’ll achieve by 2030 that will:
<ul>
<li>Broaden trust in VMware and its products, people, and industry leadership by focusing on security, keeping people’s information safe, working from a privacy-first mindset, and being transparent about how we do business.</li>
<li>Increase equity by enabling our company and our customers can create a distributed and digital workforce future that is accessible, inclusive, and just for all.</li>
<li>Drive sustainability by decarbonizing IT infrastructure for our customers and partners, as well as our own operations and supply chain.</li>
</ul>
The most important thing about these commitments is that they won’t just impact what we do at VMware. We’re baking them into the products we make and the solutions we offer our customers. In this way, we are contributing to support our stakeholders make progress on their ESG goals—like our own Fibonacci spiral amplifying our impact even further.
The 2030 Agenda is ambitious. I’ll be the first to admit it. Achieving our goals will take relentless focus and require not only commitment from the top but also that of our 35,000+ employees around the world. But I’m confident we’ll get there. Because we must get there.
I sometimes think about the girl on the hill and her vacuum. It’s family lore at this point: the moment my passion sparked, and my path was set. But more often, I think of my son. He’s a few years older than I was when I first dreamed of the cleaner, better future I wanted for the world. Now, I dream of the safer, more equitable and climate-resilient future I want for him. I know it’s within our grasp—we just have to seize it.
In the coming weeks, I’ll take a deeper dive into the three pillars of VMware’s 2030 Agenda: sustainability, equity and trust. Until then, why is ESG personal to you?
 
Follow Nicola:
<ul>
<li>On Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/nicolaacutt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@NicolaAcutt</a></li>
<li>On LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaacutt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicola Acutt</a></li>
</ul>

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Nicola Acutt

Getting Personal on Leading an ESG Agenda - VMware News and Stories

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Our commitment to igniting systemic change and driving disability inclusion of more than a billion people with disabilities globally.
VMware believes that technology will play a critical role in building an equitable, accessible and inclusive digital future for all. Our CEO, Raghu Raghuram, has committed to building disability inclusion into VMware’s leadership agenda as we join the <a href="https://www.thevaluable500.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" name="&#038;lpos=content_company : 255">Valuable 500</a>. We are now part of a global business collective that is igniting systemic change and unlocking the business, social and economic value of more than 1 billion people with disabilities around the world.
<a href="https://youtu.be/zP-x-kGrvvk" target="_blank" rel="noopener" name="&#038;lpos=content_company : 256">Watch the video message from our CEO</a>. 
From ensuring the technology we develop is accessible for all to empowering our employees through accessible, inclusive and innovative engagement and wellbeing programs, our company remains committed to driving meaningful impact on disability, wellness and neurodiversity inclusion.
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Our commitment to igniting systemic change and driving disability inclusion of more than a billion people.

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June is Pride Month, which is celebrated annually to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. “The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world,” <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots">reports History.com</a>. This year is a particularly good time to pause and reflect on how communities can drive real change—inside companies and around the world. We recently spoke with Shanis Windland, vice president of <a href="https://www.vmware.com/company/diversity.html">Diversity, Equity and Inclusion</a> (DEI) at VMware, to get her perspective and insights on building companies where we all want to work.

How has your career journey evolved to focus exclusively on DEI?

Shanis: I began my career as a certified public accountant. Eventually, I managed large accounting teams before moving to a broader role running all of the finance for a gaming startup. In my last role, CFO at Heptio (now part of VMware), finance, HR, recruiting and other teams were in my purview. As employee number four at Heptio, I helped build the company and culture from the very beginning. That’s really my passion, building both companies and cultures.

At VMware, I’m focused on building diversity, equity and inclusion into the company’s fabric and ensuring our business-led strategy is embedded in every decision that the organization makes. For me, it’s an opportunity.

Inclusion and diversity are so often spoken about together. What’s the difference?

Shanis: Diversity is who we are, and inclusion is all about our actions and behaviors.

So, diversity includes all the different dimensions of your company population, while inclusion encompasses:

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It’s important to note that you can’t have a culture of inclusion without equity. We must first ensure fairness and equal opportunity before we can be truly inclusive.

When and how did you first discover that DEI especially requires leadership to lean in?

Shanis: I’ve spent my career working in technology companies, mostly startups. Often, I used to be the only woman in the room or at the table. As I grew in my career, I realized that wasn’t acceptable to me. I started to step up, speak out and become a sponsor for others in the same position, including underrepresented groups. My job as a leader is to bring new and different people to the table and to the room. I came to realize that when I gained experience and influence, my job was to use it to help others.

How does a company go about building or changing its workplace culture to embed DEI into the business?

Shanis: You have to be all-in when it comes to culture, and you have to be intentional about what kind of environment you want to create. Your leadership and your employees have to agree on what makes the culture special, and you have to promote those ideas.

For example, making sure employees and partners know:

Being intentional and being firm about what is and isn’t acceptable (and sticking to that) are important pieces of building a great culture.

Shanis: It’s about the business case. Employees bring different viewpoints, backgrounds and experiences to a company. They then challenge each other to build better products and a better place to work. When we actually represent the world around us in our workplaces, we’re going to build what the world needs and not just what I need or what you need. It’s a business imperative in competitive marketplaces to be our best and do our best work.

It is also about retaining the best and broadest possible pool of talent. Organizations cannot retain this talent without building a place where all employees can actually see themselves succeeding.

At VMware, we truly believe in the power of human difference. In building a company culture where everyone feels they belong, we know this will help propel VMware into the future. And to ensure we’re all held accountable for attaining our DEI goals, we built them right into our <a href="https://www.vmware.com/2030agenda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2030 Agenda</a>. By 2030, we’ve committed to several mission-critical DEI goals, including:

<h2>What is your advice for organizations that want to drive real progress on DEI initiatives?</h2>
Shanis: Executives and managers need to have a personal commitment to make it successful. Employees know when management is truly bought in and when they aren’t, so that authentic commitment is really important. Having humble executives who listen, build trust and truly share their authentic stories goes a long way.
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&#8220;Companies invested in transforming the future will be great at business and great at bringing out the best in people.&#8221;
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Employees want to integrate work and play. They want to feel connected, to feel like life inside and outside of work matters. They bring something unique to conversations. When an executive or manager isn’t authentic, the people working for that person aren’t going to believe the company cares—even if you have a diversity, equity and inclusion program. My view is that companies invested in transforming the future will be both great at business and great at bringing out the best in people.
<h2>Do you think there’s an ideal culture where everyone wants to work?</h2>
Shanis: No, there isn’t one ideal culture. In fact, some employees will experience their company differently from others. A shared purpose, a shared vision and a set of values that everyone ascribes to is important. But other than that, each person brings their own unique perspective, which fundamentally helps shape the culture.
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<h4>For me, these are the basic building blocks of great culture:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Value diversity. People from different backgrounds with different experiences bring different perspectives. Their perspectives challenge current approaches, which helps build better companies.</li>
<li>Practice transparency. Share information where possible (e.g., financial and product roadmaps). Employees not only deserve to know where time and money is spent, they also gain context to make better day-to-day work decisions.</li>
<li>Hire employees with values, skills and growth potential. Shared purpose and vision are more important business characteristics than a homogenous team.</li>
<li>Listen and value input enough to make a change. Talent that gives and receives honest feedback is important. So is being humble enough to embrace change based on input.</li>
<li>Recognize people who contribute to the future. Companies that focus on providing growth opportunities and promoting from within build stronger cultures.</li>
</ol>
I also believe that building a great culture means we need employees who are willing to give their input. At some point, they have to decide, “This is a company I want to be a part of.” Second, “This is a workplace I care enough to influence.” Then, all employees have to be brave about bringing what they believe are best practices and help put them into place.
Everyone benefits when you build the place you want to work.

Shanis Windland

Diversity and Inclusion leader Shanis Windland shares her advice for building a company culture of equity and innovation.

How does a company go about building or changing its culture? We spoke to VP of DEI at VMware to learn how!

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Building a Place Where We All Want to Work: Diversity & Inclusion

Research results will be dedicated to the public to help accelerate a low carbon future.
PALO ALTO, Calif. – VMware, in collaboration with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), announced today the funding awards for the new research program “NSF-VMware Partnership on Next Generation of Sustainable Digital Infrastructure (NG-SDI).”
The goal of the <a href="https://www.vmware.com/company/news/updates/sustainable-digital-infrastructure.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiative</a> and joint <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=505824&#038;ods_key=nsf20594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solicitation</a> with NSF is to foster novel, transformative research in fundamental and systematic approaches that bring dramatic increases in the environmental sustainability of digital infrastructure and leading to practical methodologies and tools. This collaboration is in line with <a href="https://www.vmware.com/2030agenda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VMware’s 2030 Agenda</a>, which outlines the company’s 10-year commitment to building a more sustainable and resilient world.
The joint NSF-VMware awards, which total US $6,000,000 in research funding grants over three years, are made for two multi-university research teams:
<ul>
<li>“A Sustainable and Reliable Carbon-Centric Cloud-Edge Software Infrastructure”—a team led by Professor Prashant Shenoy together with Professors Ramesh Sitaraman, David Irwin and Mohammad Hajiesmaili at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Tian Guo at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Adam Wierman at California Institute of Technology; and</li>
<li>“Foundations of Clean and Balanced Data Centers”—a team led by Professor Tom Anderson at the University of Washington, together with Professors Adam Belay at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mosharaf Chowdhury at the University of Michigan, Asaf Cidon at Columbia University and Irene Zhang at the University of Washington.</li>
</ul>
“We are pleased to announce the awards recognizing the innovative ideas pioneered by these university teams,” said Greg Lavender, chief technology officer, VMware. “We believe these efforts will help accelerate a low carbon future by minimizing the IT and data center infrastructure required to support the world’s increasing digital workloads. It is our responsibility as a leading technology provider to help drive these types of transformative behavior.”
Complementary to the joint awards, VMware is granting US $500,000 to a third project, “Carbon-Emissions Information Service for Sustainable Cloud Operation.” This project is led by Professor Andrew Chien at the University of Chicago, together with Professors Line Roald at the University of Wisconsin and Rich Wolski at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“Data centers and other large-scale digital services are massive users of electricity, and therefore incur large carbon footprints, so sustainability of computing infrastructure is an important challenge,” said Gurdip Singh, division director of computer and network systems in NSF’s Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering. “At the same time, data centers offer large payoffs in terms of economic and societal benefit. Through research catalyzed by this program, we hope to better understand how the carbon footprint of our digital infrastructure can be reduced.”
Data center and digital infrastructure capacities and workloads have been growing exponentially, around 25% annually in the last decade, with no sign of slowing. The total power draw is estimated at 1-1.5% of world electricity production.[1]
“Sustainability is core to VMware’s values. While there have been significant advances in efficiency, mainly through low-power hardware and software virtualization on which VMware has made a big impact directly and indirectly, many new opportunities have recently opened with the advent of emerging technologies,” said Victor Firoiu, co-director, VMware Academic Programs.
The three programs will work in synergy to uncover new science and technologies for transforming the practice and operation of cloud computing, whether public, private or hybrid clouds, resulting in dramatic increases in their environmental sustainability.
For more information about this initiative, please contact:
Media Contact Kristin Atkins Director, ESG &#038; Reputation Communications, VMware <a href="mailto:katktins@vmware.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">katktins@vmware.com</a>
Academic Research Lead Contact Victor Firoiu Co-Director of VMware Academic Programs <a href="mailto:vfiroiu@vmware.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vfiroiu@vmware.com</a>
About VMware
VMware software powers the world’s complex digital infrastructure. The company’s cloud, app modernization, networking, security, and digital workspace offerings help customers deliver any application on any cloud across any device. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to being a force for good, from its breakthrough technology innovations to its global impact. For more information, please visit <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vmware.com%2Fcompany.html&#038;esheet=52411904&#038;newsitemid=20210414005849&#038;lan=en-US&#038;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vmware.com%2Fcompany.html&#038;index=2&#038;md5=ecd6f5d2666f784febd5c247989b288d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.vmware.com/company.html</a>.
[1] Masanet et al, “Recalibrating global data center energy-use estimates”, Science Magazine, Feb 2020, <a href="https://datacenters.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/Masanet_et_al_Science_2020.full_.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://datacenters.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/Masanet_et_al_Science_2020.full_.pdf</a>

VMware Staff

Initiative will fund public research in sustainable digital infrastructure.

VMware and the National Science Foundation Announce Academic Awards

VMware and the NSF Announce Academic Awards

The Climate Decade is upon us. Our collective actions over the next 10 years will be critical in defining the future trajectory of our planet. With a renewed societal focus on sustainability and climate change over the past several years, it’s become increasingly clear we must drastically reduce our carbon emissions.  
At VMware, we’ve had a longstanding commitment to sustainability. In 2018, <a href="https://news.vmware.com/achieving-carbon-neutrality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we achieved carbon neutrality two years ahead of our original goal</a>. We also recently announced our intent to achieve net zero carbon emissions for our operations and supply chain as part of our 2030 Agenda, in which we outlined our 10-year commitment to reach 30 goals by 2030 to create a more equitable, sustainable and resilient world. A component of our 2030 Agenda is “Intrinsic Sustainability” innovation with a focus on helping our customers—through VMware’s virtualization and cloud solutions and partnerships—meet their sustainability goals by reducing the carbon emissions associated with their data center operations. 
<h5>Announcing VMware Zero Carbon Committed: Connecting Customers and Cloud Partners with Shared Sustainability Goals </h5>
To that end, we’re excited to announce the launch of the VMware Zero Carbon Committed cloud partner initiative. We envision catalyzing and accelerating the transition to zero carbon clouds through VMware Cloud Partner data centers powered by renewable energy sources by 2030. This initiative is a collaboration with our VMware Cloud Verified providers that operate infrastructure-, energy- and carbon-efficient data centers based on VMware software-defined data center (SDDC) technologies and have commitments to using renewable energy power.   
Exemplifying VMware’s ongoing commitment to product sustainability innovation, this initiative aims to:
<ul>
<li>Catalyze the transition to a zero carbon internet through our partnerships with public cloud providers.</li>
<li>Help customers reach their sustainability and decarbonization goals by connecting them with cloud providers that have aligned goals. </li>
<li>Accelerate sustainable computing with VMware’s SDDC technology. </li>
</ul>
VMware Zero Carbon Committed builds on our history of helping customers reduce the environmental impact of their digital operations through more efficient and productive use of IT infrastructure. The initiative also extends our reach and impact alongside our public cloud partners. It enables us to connect customers who have sustainability goals and are looking for low-carbon solutions with a VMware cloud provider who is committed to achieving zero carbon clouds through renewable energy-powered operations and energy-efficient data centers.  
<h5>Key VMware Cloud Verified Partners Supporting Inaugural Launch </h5>
We’re excited to announce that VMware’s Cloud Verified partners Atea, Equinix, IBM, Microsoft and OVHcloud are joining us for the inaugural launch of this initiative. 
Every day, more and more global, cross-sector companies—more than 1,300 to-date including VMware and many of our customers—are committing to the United Nations’ Science Based Targets (SBT) initiative to reduce absolute carbon emissions in their operations and supply chains to reach net zero carbon by 2050.(1) In partnership with our VMware Cloud Verified partners, we believe the Zero Carbon Committed initiative will make it easier for these companies to reach their goals. 
“Being part of the climate solution requires driving change throughout the entire ecosystem,” said Chiara Selvetti, head of sustainability, Atea Sweden. “Atea’s clear 100% renewables goal—part of our SBT target—makes it easier for customers to understand the sustainability impact of their IT investments and for Atea’s employees to advise customers in the sustainable choices they make.”
Beyond corporations, we’re seeing a global push by governments around the world toward low-carbon economies that will further drive the demand for low-carbon products and services. To date, 37 countries have committed to Net Zero Carbon goals and are implementing policies, incentives and regulations to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.(2) 
“Equinix and VMware have partnered together to help enterprises with their digital transformations for years and now this collaboration extends to doing our part to protect the planet,” said Steve Steinhilber, vice president, business development, Equinix. “We are proud to be a part of VMware’s Zero Carbon Committed initiative, which demonstrates our joint commitment to using 100% renewable energy by 2030.  Through this partnership with VMware, we can help our mutual customers and partners green their supply chain and reduce their environmental impact, while building fast and more secure enterprise hybrid multi-cloud infrastructures.” 
&#8220;In February 2021, IBM set a goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 by using feasible technologies to remove emissions in an amount which equals or exceeds IBM&#8217;s residual emissions,&#8221; said Edan Dionne, vice president, environmental, energy and chemical management programs of IBM&#8217;s Corporate Environmental Affairs staff.  &#8220;Toward achieving this goal IBM will continue to first focus on reducing—not offsetting—GHG emissions and with 90% of the electricity IBM consumes coming from renewable sources by 2030, aiming to limit our residual GHG emissions to 350,000 mtCO2e. We look forward to continuing our partnership with VMware in serving clients, while reducing our environmental impact.&#8221; 
“As part of Microsoft’s commitment to be carbon negative by 2030, sustainability is front and center for our data center growth and operations. We’ve made early progress and as part of this journey, we are proud to work with other forward-thinking partners like VMware and their Zero Carbon Committed Initiative to help drive change across the industry,” said Noelle Walsh, CVP, cloud operations + innovation, Microsoft.
“The world has become increasingly dependent on data, and the wide-scale transition from onsite storage toward cloud-based solutions represents an incredible opportunity for our industry to lead the way in helping all companies make progress toward sustainability,” said François Sterin, chief industry officer for OVHcloud. “We have seen significant interest from all customers in maximizing data center efficiency and are proud to serve as an inaugural member of VMware’s Zero Carbon Committed cloud partner initiative and share in the commitment to generating net carbon zero emissions by 2030.”
<h5>Phased Approach to Raising Awareness for Sustainable Cloud Operations </h5>
We are planning a phased approach over the next decade to achieve 100% renewable energy-powered and carbon-efficient VMware clouds. Early on, the initiative will connect customers with VMware cloud providers with aligned sustainability goals and provide a competitive differentiation for these cloud providers who are leading the journey with aggressive renewable energy goals and running efficient data centers.  
Over time, the initiative will raise awareness among our other cloud providers about the importance to our customers of sustainable cloud operations. We believe this awareness can help inspire all our partners to begin or accelerate their journeys to zero carbon cloud operations. Longer term, we plan to develop programs to assist providers with launching their renewable energy journeys.  
As we approach the end of Earth Month, we’re encouraged by the increase in decarbonization commitments from the global community. The challenge of achieving net zero carbon emissions will require us to come together as a global community to collaborate toward a sustainable future.  
<h5>Together, Accelerating Zero Carbon Clouds by 2030 </h5>
We’re proud of the progress that has been made so far and are encouraged by ongoing decarbonization commitments. Through the Zero Carbon Committed initiative, we envision that by 2030, all VMware public clouds will be powered with renewable energy and run infrastructure-, energy- and carbon-efficient operations. In collaboration with our partners and customers, we’re looking forward to tackling one of the leading environmental issues of our time, and working toward a sustainable, equitable and resilient future.
<a href="https://cloud.vmware.com/providers/zero-carbon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more about our Zero Carbon Committed initiative</a>.
This article may contain hyperlinks to non-VMware websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites.
<ol>
<li>Science Based Targets. “About Us.” <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://sciencebasedtargets.org/about-us</a></li>
<li>Climate Home News Ltd. “Which Countries Have a Net Zero Carbon Goal?” Megan Darby and Isabelle Gerretsen. June 14, 2019. <a href="https://climatechangenews.com/2019/06/14/countries-net-zero-climate-goal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://climatechangenews.com/2019/06/14/countries-net-zero-climate-goal/</a></li>
</ol>

Fidelma Russo

Connecting customers and cloud partners with shared sustainability goals.

Announcing VMware Zero Carbon Committed

Zero Carbon Committed Initiative to Drive Global Decarbonization Efforts

In a year defined by change, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) remains a key business priority at VMware. Similar to our transformation as a customer-centric subscription and SaaS company, VMware’s executive leadership team recognize our DEI work as important and necessary in the broader evolution of our company.
<a href="https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/company/vmw-annual-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our FY21 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Annual Report was just released</a>. I encourage you to dive in and read the full report. By embracing change as a catalyst for progress, we gained momentum on our hiring, retention and inclusive culture efforts. It makes me proud to see how far we have come through our intentional and steadfast actions over the past year. I also recognize how much farther we have to go on our DEI journey at VMware.
<img loading="lazy" class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/vminclusion-dei-report-wide.png?w=734" sizes="(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/vminclusion-dei-report-wide.png 734w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/vminclusion-dei-report-wide.png?resize=300,129 300w" alt="" width="734" height="316">
Working on this report is an exercise in reflection, and three defining initiatives stand out for me:  
1. #WeHearYou
The events that transpired last year with the murder of George Floyd, followed by the Black Lives Matter social justice movement forced all of us to confront the reality—without any ambiguity—the world is not equal, and we all have a responsibility to change it.
Our Black@VMware POD launched the #WeHearYou campaign as a call to action on allyship, and our community has come together, committed to doing better and supporting each other in this movement. We believe Citizen Philanthropy is an important facet of social change. In 2020, the Black@VMware Power of Difference (POD) community launched the <a href="https://vmware.brightfunds.org/funds/black-vmware-social-justice-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black@VMware Social Justice Fund</a>, to which people can donate and the company will double their donation. The fund raised more than $550,000 with more than 1,100 employee supporters.
Additionally, programs such as <a href="https://www.factualitythegame.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Factuality</a>—a facilitated dialogue, crash course and interactive experience that simulates structural inequalities—were piloted by the DEI team last year and will be offered to our employee community on an ongoing basis in 2021.
2. EPIC2 Day Off and Well-Being
Following months of stress and uncertainty from the pandemic, and, at the time, weeks of pain and upheaval from the violence that had erupted in the United States and resonated around the world, our leadership announced June 12 as a companywide EPIC2 Day Off. We were encouraged to use this day to take time away from work and to reflect and recharge as a community.
With a renewed focus on employee wellbeing and mental health, our company introduced several real-time responses throughout the year: 
<ul>
<li>Quarterly companywide EPIC2 days off and an end-of-year shutdown.</li>
<li>Pandemic Leave benefit as additional time off for all employees.</li>
<li>Wellness Wednesday program focused on finding balance and channeling mindfulness. </li>
</ul>
This year, all regular, benefits-eligible VMware employees qualify for the enhanced Well-Being Allowance that increased from $400 up to $1,000. (Note the allowance amounts and the total increase vary by country). 
3. Equity and Future of Work
Last year, VMware announced its <a href="https://www.vmware.com/company/news/updates/2020/envisioning-future-of-work.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" name="&#038;lpos=content_fy21-dei-report : 244">Future of Work initiative</a>, which in addition to aligning to the bold outcomes outlined in <a href="https://www.vmware.com/2030agenda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VMware’s 2030 Agenda</a>, brings together a set of policies, programs and adaptive culture that will lead our 34,000+ employees into a new era of work. A significant outcome from our Future of Work initiative will be access to a broader talent pool and flexible work that will shape a more diverse VMware. The Future of Work is here, and at VMware, it extends our EPIC2 values and advances our commitment to building a more diverse workforce, reducing our carbon footprint and putting employee well-being first. 
DEI: Fundamental to Who We Are and Where We Are Going
A defining quality for VMware is our penchant for solving hard problems in ways that ensure meaningful impact and lasting value. No matter where we stand today on our diversity, equity and inclusion journey, we must continue to find ways to do better. <a href="https://www.vmware.com/company/diversity.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" name="&#038;lpos=content_fy21-dei-report : 249">Please visit our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion webpage to learn more</a>.
There is a long way to go, but I am optimistic about the path that we are on. Because when we progress together—at VMware and in the communities that we call home—we will build a more equitable future for all.

VMware's VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion reflects on the company's FY21 DEI Annual Report.

Progress Together for an Equitable Future

Every April, we have the opportunity to reflect on our environmental priorities and commitments. Sustainability is something many of us aspire to practice every day. But there is something about the seasons changing to Spring and the annual Earth Day celebrations that give us a chance to pause and think consciously about what more we can do.
VMware has a long-held belief that <a href="https://www.vmware.com/company/sustainability.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">environmental stewardship</a> is our responsibility and duty as a global corporate citizen. We’ve made huge strides over the last several years, from being a certified CarbonNeutral company to procuring 100% renewable energy and setting science-based targets. As part of our 2030 Agenda, we are now aiming for <a href="https://www.vmware.com/2030agenda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">net zero by 2030</a>. Sustainability remains core to our values and future success. We owe it to ourselves, to our children and to the future to do our part in nurturing and caring for our one and only planet.
Over the past year, we’ve had a unique opportunity—the likes of which we haven’t seen in modern history—to reduce our carbon footprint through our new remote work environments. We’ve experienced a huge acceleration to a more distributed future, an <a href="https://www.vmware.com/future-ready-workforce.html?src=ps_5f843775cd327&#038;cid=7012H000001KS01&#038;gclid=CjwKCAjw6qqDBhB-EiwACBs6x5eZuqa2c7FMkGzo6_Uce-1GXMUVcPJPffcnNSMzvcf2mQmpRr_JVhoCusUQAvD_BwE&#038;gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anywhere Workspace</a>, which quickly became a priority for VMware. Our homes have become our offices, daycare, schools, movie theaters, go-to lunch spots and everything in between. Bridging the gap between work and home has taken on new meaning. 
The unexpected lockdown has given our planet a break from the emissions associated with our daily commutes, air travel and energy consumption while in the office. With many of us still working remotely, we continue to be challenged to think differently about creating healthy and sustainable workspaces, experiences and lifestyles. And that is what Earth Month is all about.
Last year, we celebrated Earth Month by introducing our <a href="https://www.vmware.com/company/news/updates/every-bit-counts-earth-day-2020.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Every Bit Counts</a> campaign, building on our belief that small, individual actions add up to significant impact. To continue that mindset, this year we encourage everyone to Save Our Home—Without Leaving Yours.

Over the past year, I’ve been inspired by our people at VMware, who, notwithstanding the challenges we face, remain fired up about living sustainably and helping others to do so, as well. It’s up to all of us to do our part to protect the one and only Earth we have. And my hope is that VMware can serve up inspiration to do just that.
On that note, I sign off by channeling the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it&#8217;s the only thing that ever has.”
It’s time to change the world one home at a time!

This Earth Day, VMware people all over the world are joining in to change the world one home at a time.

Save Our Home—Without Leaving Yours

Empathy became somewhat of a buzzword in recent years. But 2020 demonstrated empathy’s timeless relevance in both our personal lives and the business world.
Last year, most of us became remote workers practically overnight. And for many, this meant juggling our families and back-to-back online meetings. For others, it meant near-constant solitude for long periods of time.
“One of the things I think people have not been speaking enough about is that concept of empathy,” said technology industry analyst Maribel Lopez in a podcast. “We see that people are starting to focus on employee wellness, as an example, whether that’s posting educational programs, whether it’s mandating ‘no work’ days or reconfiguring schedules and physical workspaces so that people feel safe and they can practice social distancing. So, I think this concept of empathy for what your employees are dealing with right now, that’s something we need to focus more on.”
Wherever we are on the spectrum of surrounded to lonely, we all have one thing in common: We need empathy from our managers, teams and leaders to make it work. To dive deeper, I spoke with several executives at VMware to learn how effective leaders use empathy to drive impact and employee value.
<h2>A Nonnegotiable Leadership Trait</h2>
As both business leaders and everyday people, practicing empathy is nonnegotiable. In fact, “it&#8217;s a requirement to be a part of our community,” said Betsy Sutter, executive vice president and chief people officer, VMware.
Sutter believes leaders can’t meet the needs of customers and employees without deeply understanding them first. And businesses won’t attract or retain the best talent without empathetic leaders. Yet, feeling, expressing and practicing empathy effectively doesn’t come naturally to us all. This is especially true when business demands seem to get in the way.
“I wasn’t always good at it,” said Sanjay Uppal, senior vice president and general manager, VMware. “I had a lot to learn and am still learning.”
Indeed, Sutter and Uppal pointed to times they were under too much pressure to be as empathetic as they should have been. Now, both believe empathy must be developed like any other leadership trait.
<h2>Empathy Begins with Listening</h2>
Problem solving is a tempting approach when a loved one, colleague or employee reaches out for support. However, problem solving often leaves the person on the other side of the conversation feeling unheard and dismissed. Instead of trying to solve the problem, leaders advise acknowledging its difficulty, asking questions and expressing support.
VMware President Sumit Dhawan shared a story about making a difficult decision that had a significant impact on his team. Dhawan focused on the logic behind the decision and the many benefits associated with it—to no avail. The team wasn’t convinced.
“I should have made more of an effort to really understand why they were so hesitant,” Dhawan reflected.
Dhawan’s situation in that moment was one we can all relate to: Frequently feeling too rushed, too stressed or too familiar to keep empathy top of mind. And this leads to mistakes both in the leader-employee relationship and for the business. According to Dhawan, leaders tend to consciously lead with empathy less and less as the relationship progresses, or in other words, take someone for granted.
“It’s easier to make assumptions when you know someone well, so it’s important to stay aware of the work it takes to continually empathize,” said Dhawan.
Another VMware leader, Fidelma Russo, asks open-ended questions to demonstrate that all ideas are welcome. She also taps on more outspoken employees to “break through politeness” in meetings. This enables colleagues to share how they really feel. It also builds a shared team understanding of acceptable behavior.
“You have to call people out when they’re being disrespectful or dismissive of norms,” said Russo.
<h2>Putting in the Hard Work</h2>
Empathy is not all feel-good, heartfelt conversation.
In Harvard Business Review’s <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/02/how-leaders-can-open-up-to-their-teams-without-oversharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How Leaders Can Open Up to Their Teams Without Oversharing</a>, Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy wrote, “We tend to assume that leaders are marketing to us. If a leader never shows emotion, that conviction only becomes stronger.”
Practicing empathy also requires candor, accountability and hard work—especially during such a difficult time as 2020. Challenges did not disappear with the new year—and will not for quite some time. In these unprecedented times, how we show up is more important than ever.
“You have to go there,” said Sutter, referencing the difficult conversations many leaders are now fielding around the pandemic, racial injustice and more.
Teams look to leaders for support, guidance and inspiration. Yet, they also need to understand what leaders value and how they expect individuals to behave. By leading with empathy, leaders cultivate a team culture of trust and connection, empowering people to perform at their best.

Practicing empathy is a nonnegotiable leadership trait, especially in light of the pandemic, civil unrest and more.

Empathy: Leadership in the New Normal Demands a Human Touch

https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Empathy_Leadership_FACEBOOK_1200x628.png

This Women’s History Month, everyone is invited to choose to challenge gender bias and inequality, committing to celebrating and supporting women. In answer to the call, the Women@VMware <a href="https://www.vmware.com/company/diversity.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" name="&#038;lpos=content_7-leaders-womens-history-month : 313">Power of Difference</a> (POD) group and VMinclusion planned a wide range of Women’s History Month celebrations at VMware. Opportunities abound to learn about, support and propel the company&#8217;s <a href="https://www.vmware.com/2030agenda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" name="&#038;lpos=content_7-leaders-womens-history-month : 313">2030 Agenda</a>: building a future that is accessible, unbiased and inclusive for all.
Here&#8217;s how seven VMware leaders choose to challenge gender inequities and help accelerate awareness and change.
<h5>1. Amy Fliegelman Olli Supports Televerde Foundation</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-amy-fliegelman-olli.jpg?w=1024" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-amy-fliegelman-olli.jpg 1400w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-amy-fliegelman-olli.jpg?resize=300,86 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-amy-fliegelman-olli.jpg?resize=768,219 768w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-amy-fliegelman-olli.jpg?resize=1024,293 1024w" alt="" width="1024" height="293" />
Amy Fliegelman Olli, executive vice president and general counsel, said:
“I choose to challenge bias and stereotype by acting on the board of directors of <a href="https://televerdefoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Televerde Foundation</a>. This company hires incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, empowers them to find their voice and purpose, and provides support and stability as they transition back to society. For women who are or have been incarcerated, the obstacles to re-engaging in the workforce, achieving independence and reaching their full potential are extraordinary.
“As the first in my family to go to college, I recognize how fortunate I was to have people in my life who supported my dreams. I would like to have a similar impact. I believe that by supporting one another’s goals and dreams, and respecting and valuing every individual, together we can build a more just and equitable world.”
<h5>2. Carol Carpenter Sponsors Women@VMware</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-carol-carpenter.jpg?w=1024" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-carol-carpenter.jpg 1400w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-carol-carpenter.jpg?resize=300,86 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-carol-carpenter.jpg?resize=768,219 768w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-carol-carpenter.jpg?resize=1024,293 1024w" alt="" width="1024" height="293" />
Carol Carpenter, chief marketing officer, said:
“I’m fortunate to have had women mentors in my life who have given me advice and guidance throughout my career. I value their smart and sensible perspective and their willingness to choose to challenge the status quo. And that’s why I am thrilled to be one of the executive sponsors of the Women@VMware POD group, so I may be able to pass some of my own experience on to other women eagerly plotting their careers.”  
<h5>3. Joan Stone Advocates for Equitable Representation</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-joan-stone.jpg?w=1024" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-joan-stone.jpg 1400w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-joan-stone.jpg?resize=300,86 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-joan-stone.jpg?resize=768,219 768w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-joan-stone.jpg?resize=1024,293 1024w" alt="" width="1024" height="293" />
Joan Stone, chief communications officer, said:
“Working as a communicator has shown me time and again how challenging it can be for many—and particularly for women—to find their voice and a clear space where they can be heard. I am passionate about helping young women and girls understand the power of their opinions. I choose to challenge by advocating for equitable representation of opinions, ideas and experiences in everything we do. At the very core, this is about listening carefully and respectfully to all. I am encouraged to be part of a company that values diversity of thought and works to recognize listening as a critical part of making change happen.”
<h5>4. Kathy Chou Leads WWSSO to Exceed DEI Goals</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-kathy-chou.jpg?w=1024" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-kathy-chou.jpg 1400w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-kathy-chou.jpg?resize=300,86 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-kathy-chou.jpg?resize=768,219 768w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-kathy-chou.jpg?resize=1024,293 1024w" alt="" width="1024" height="293" />
Kathy Chou, senior vice president of worldwide sales strategy and operations (WWSSO), said:
“Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is something I passionately embrace and think about in everything I do in my role  at VMware. I feel fortunate to work for a company that makes DEI a priority, and I’m proud of the fact that WWSSO continually exceeds the goals that we set in terms of hiring and promoting diverse talent. Women’s History Month is a great time to remember that everyone brings a unique voice and perspective and ensuring all those voices are heard leads to better decisions, a smarter workforce and a more powerful organization.”   
<h5>5. Paula Hodgins Embraces Ambition</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-paula-hodgins.jpg?w=1024" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-paula-hodgins.jpg 1400w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-paula-hodgins.jpg?resize=300,86 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-paula-hodgins.jpg?resize=768,219 768w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-paula-hodgins.jpg?resize=1024,293 1024w" alt="" width="1024" height="293" />
Paula Hodgins, senior vice president of worldwide global accounts and telco, said:
“As I watched my mother raise three children—and work full-time as a teacher while getting her university degree at night—I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of women embracing ambition. My mother was ambitious for her family, because she wanted to provide us with a good life. She was ambitious for herself because she wanted to achieve more. 
&#8220;So often, the concept of ‘ambition’ is perceived negatively when it is associated with women, but I learned through watching her to embrace my ambition. My ambition has been a big source of fuel when others didn’t believe in me or see my potential. Be ambitious and dream big. You never know what you can accomplish.”
<h5>6. Sandy Hogan Honors Women Who Change the World</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-sandy-hogan.jpg?w=1024" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-sandy-hogan.jpg 1400w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-sandy-hogan.jpg?resize=300,86 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-sandy-hogan.jpg?resize=768,219 768w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-sandy-hogan.jpg?resize=1024,293 1024w" alt="" width="1024" height="293" />
Sandy Hogan, senior vice president of worldwide commercial and partner sales, said:
“For me, International Women’s Day is much more than a day. It’s weeks, months and years. It’s generations of women who broke down barriers to gender equality. It’s recognizing the amazing accomplishments of the women who came before us. It’s recognizing the women from diverse experiences, who every day are changing the world with their courage and kindness. I look to these women—my family, friends, colleagues and women from all walks of life—and am inspired to act, to shape an inclusive world. This day is a unique opportunity to renew that commitment and honor them with the power of our collective voices.”
<h5>7. Betsy Sutter Commits to Gender Equality in the Workplace</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-betsy-sutter.jpg?w=1024" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-betsy-sutter.jpg 1400w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-betsy-sutter.jpg?resize=300,86 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-betsy-sutter.jpg?resize=768,219 768w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/womens-history-month-betsy-sutter.jpg?resize=1024,293 1024w" alt="" width="1024" height="293" />
Betsy Sutter, executive vice president and chief people officer, said:
“The pandemic has allowed us to think about designing a radically diverse workforce. This is one where all women feel included, and they have full permission to make decisions that are right for them. This workforce of the future is better equipped to be creative and solve complex problems. I am committed to achieving gender equality in the workplace by making inclusion a competitive advantage for our company.”
<h5>How Do You #ChooseToChallenge?</h5>
When did you dare to challenge the status quo? Share your story or the story of someone you admire with a selfie of your hand up high.

In honor of Women's History Month, our leaders share how they're helping accelerate awareness and change.

How 7 VMware Leaders #ChoosetoChallenge

Women&#8217;s History Month: How 7 VMware Leaders Choose to Challenge

Choose to challenge is this year’s <a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/theme">International Women’s Day</a> theme. Women in the technology industry have been doing this for decades. Today, in this highlight reel of stories, we celebrate the exceptional difference women make to tech, business and our world.

Arizona Federal Credit Union executive vice president and CIO Amy Hysell is curious, determined and dedicated. She used her knowledge of the business, experience serving people and leadership skills to overcome cultural bias and build the 'best IT shop in the nation.'

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The race to attract and retain tech talent is tight. And companies everywhere are increasingly looking at returnship to fill open positions. Return-to-work programs for women may prove even more valuable as countries emerge to full-work participation in the new normal.

Like technology, art is a catalyst for change.

Together, art and technology help people make a deeper connection and take immediate action in specific ways. The work of artist <a href="https://sougwen.com/">Sougwen Chung</a> and Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist <a href="http://www.reneecbyer.com/">Renée C. Byer</a> do just that.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Pop Culture Tech Podcast 1.4: Art Meets Tech" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kePQYCdsY28?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Lady Mariéme Jamme is on a mission to close the global education gap and build a generation of 1 million women and girl coders by 2030.

Jamme is all-in on STEAMD (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and design) education. She is the founder of iamtheCODE, the first African-led global movement to mobilize governments, the private sector, philanthropic foundations, investors and civil society to advance STEAMD education. Her mission is to drive sustainable development for women and girls in marginalized communities.
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Innovation at a charity can never be for innovation’s sake. No one knows this better than Ursula Dolton, chief technology officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Under her guidance, the charity navigated the many challenges brought about by the coronavirus outbreak. Like so many organizations, a combination of strong leadership and technology was key to its successful response.
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IT security professionals were used to going it alone in protecting business data. That changed quickly when the pandemic hit worldwide. Now, executive leaders like Aparna Bawa, Zoom’s COO, are in the trenches with IT security teams to ensure secure operations and intrinsic security.

From viral charitable campaigns to volunteerism and service learning, this Pop Culture Tech podcast episode explores how tech-for-good fuels our spirit of giving.

Tech innovations fuel charitable moments and real-world missions. Behind the scenes, organizations like <a href="https://taprootfoundation.org/">Taproot Foundation</a> infuse hundreds of millions of dollars worth of pro bono support directly into the nonprofit sector. And Lindsay Firestone Gruber, the Foundation’s president and CEO, is leading the charge.
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Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) vice president Hsueh-Lan Wu believes, “Using technology to serve people must be the common goal we share with our partners. And we hope to work hard to achieve this goal together.”

Even as Taiwan’s SMEs become less reserved about digital transformation, expertise from bigger players is key. And how better to demonstrate the process of digital transformation than to do it yourself?
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Recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on African trade and investment, Rosa Whitaker is a passionate champion for creating enterprise solutions to address poverty and promote prosperity across Africa. While much remains to be done across Africa, technology is helping to close the education, economic and healthcare gaps.

As the pandemic evolves, employers carefully consider how and when to return workforces to offices worldwide. In the meantime, employees continue adjusting to the new opportunities and challenges of remote work.

When organizations are unsure how to take the next step, they look to experts. Two—<a href="https://news.vmware.com/-author/susan-insley/">Susan Insley</a>, vice president of human resources at VMware, and <a href="https://news.vmware.com/-author/laurel-farrer/">Laurel Farrer</a>, a leading remote work strategist and chief executive officer of Distribute Consulting—discussed their top five barriers to remote work success.
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Agents of change. Luminaries. CIOs. These are just a few of the women in technology we're celebrating this International Women's Day.

Celebrating this International Women's Day with powerful stories of women in technology and agents of change.

Women in Technology Accept the Challenge

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Women in Technology Accept the Challenge - VMware News and Stories

Celebrating #InternationalWomensDay with powerful stories of #womenintech and agents of change.

Maintaining connections is more important today than ever before. Tigo’s innovative tech-for-good programs bring people and communities together across Latin America.

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<a href="https://www.millicom.com/our-company/brands/tigo/">Tigo</a> has ambitious goals: The company builds digital highways that connect people, improve lives and develop communities.

In 2018, the telecommunications company refreshed its corporate responsibility framework. To support its mission, Tigo launched new <a href="https://www.millicom.com/our-responsibility/">flagship programs</a> aimed at empowering people and promoting social good. The programs aim to:

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Latin America, Tigo’s tech-for-good programs helped ease some of the strain.

Tigo’s social programs have real, tangible benefits for individuals and communities. And volunteerism is vital to program success. Protecting children online, for example, relies entirely on Tigo volunteers.

“We have tens and hundreds of volunteers, who go out to schools and community centers to engage students, to engage teachers, to engage the community and connect with them as we help them to connect to the digital world,” said Garrigo.

Through these programs, Tigo changes hundreds of thousands of lives for the better. However, the pandemic drove significant program changes.

“When schools shut down, we were not able to reach children, families, and teachers for our child online protection program,” said Garrigo. “So, we had to find innovative ways to work with UNICEF to communicate guidelines and provide families with tools, so that children can learn and play safely at home…while they were having increased screen time.”

The pandemic also spurred Tigo to build a new program to support teachers, who were suddenly educating students in their homes.

“We found there was a very serious gap in capabilities for teachers in terms of providing online education,” Garrigo said. “Through our program, we reached more than 150,000 teachers to train them in online education. In addition to providing students with their core curriculum online, the teachers provide the online protection curriculum.”

During the pandemic, Tigo also expanded training to its small- and medium business customers, who needed help surviving under extreme economic stress.

“We provided training to small-to-medium enterprises to allow them to move from a brick-and-mortar business model to a digital model,” Garrigo said. “We provided them with e-commerce capabilities not only to transform their businesses but to help them recover economically.”

Consumers today expect a lot from their telecom providers, such as:

Modern technology innovations, like telco cloud, help Tigo achieve outstanding performance and exceptional availability. It also provides agile scalability to support new offerings.

“The telco cloud journey started a few years back,” said Rocoplan. “Our first goal is to serve our B2B clients better, faster and with more scale. Secondly, we want to deliver better services for our B2C clients. And third, we want to standardize and tighten security.”

“We have seen the need for more agility and scalability as the traffic actually exploded in a very short period of time. And more importantly, it moved across the networks. This is where the technologies that VMware can bring to us will be critical in the future, so we can achieve this agility and scalability more efficiently,” he continued.

And of course, modern infrastructure also helps prepare Tigo for the future.

Tigo is gradually rolling out 5G and will expand its network to the edge in the years to come. These infrastructure investments will deliver richer, more responsive experiences to all customers. And in support of Tigo corporate responsibility programs, 5G and edge technologies could also help provide a better interactive experience for participants, while reaching people across wider geographic regions.

Digital Highways for a More Connected, Vibrant Future

Achieving its goal of building digital highways is not simple, especially in emerging Latin American and African markets. And fulfilling its mission is not only about technology.

“At the core of our purpose is our passion for giving back to communities,” said Garrigo.

That passion leads the company to develop programs to educate and train customers, providing them with the skills to safely navigate the digital world and fully capitalize on opportunities. And with hundreds of thousands enrolled, Tigo’s flagship social responsibility programs produce impressive large-scale, long-term benefits.

With a robust, flexible telco cloud infrastructure, Tigo will further enhance the programs and establish additional digital highways. The result? People and communities who are connected, productive and safer in an increasingly digital world.

<a href="https://www.millicom.com/our-responsibility/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn more about Tigo’s corporate responsibility programs.</a>

Tigo’s innovative tech-for-good programs build digital highways that bring people and communities together across Latin America.

Tigo's tech-for-good programs bring people and communities together across Latin America.

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